Nügg Beauty Mask Subscription Box Review – March 2017

This post may contain referral/affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Nügg Beauty is a monthly face mask subscription box. Each month, you will receive four different masks, two pods of each. You can choose between four skin types: Dry/Dehydrated Skin, Mature/Aging Skin, Normal Skin, and Oily/Combination Skin. Nügg Beauty also offers Lip Mask and Eye Mask boxes for one-time purchase or mailed as a subscription.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

I am on a never-ending quest for the perfect beauty regimen and fairly new to masks in general. I have adult acne prone combination skin, so Nügg Beauty suggested sending the Oily/Combination mask subscription. My skin is usually pretty dry even at the beginning of spring, so I was glad to read that they also send moisturizing masks to oily skin types.

On the back of the info card, each mask sent is outlined, along with instructions on how to use each one. I also like the suggested monthly regimen, which I followed the first 10 days (speeded up a bit for this review!).

The first face mask in the regimen is the exfoliation mask. It consists of cranberry seed oil and jojoba beads, which aids in a gentle exfoliation. The goal of this mask is to remove “dead skin cells and help unclog and refine pores.”

For this and all masks, I began the process by dampening my skin with a warm washcloth, in order to open my pores a bit. Upon applying a generous layer to my face, I noticed there was still about half a pod left. Nügg Beauty suggests using the entire pod to ensure a thick layer on your skin, which will act as a barrier, but I found it a bit excessive. There was a nice light grit as I massaged it onto my skin. After leaving it on for the suggested 10 minutes, I didn’t notice the mask dried or got stiff. However, I did notice visible exfoliation or leftover beads in the mask. I removed the mask with a washcloth and rinsed in circular motions. Although I moisturized after, I did notice a visible dewiness and softness to my skin, but no difference in pores. A few hours later, despite being moisturized, my cheeks became very dry. And by the next morning, in addition to continued dryness, I had redness on my cheeks that almost reminded me of an allergic reaction. I’m on the fence whether to try this a second time because the redness and dryness were uncomfortable.

Two days later I decided to continue with the deep cleansing mask. This mask contains cucumber extract and jojoba oil, with the goal of providing “a deep cleanse and helps absorb shine while at the same time hydrating & soothing your skin.”

I began my process the same way and applied the entire pod. Overall, it looked and felt like a heavy cream that was slightly cool when on my face. I left this on also for 10 minutes and noticed it dried a bit but was slightly tacky. After easily rinsing off, my skin felt warm and slightly irritated when I applied moisturizer. Overall, my skin did feel clean afterward, but also very dry especially on my cheeks. By the next day or so, my cheeks were flaking and a breakout on my chin occurred, something that has not happened in several months.

Only waiting a few days later, I decided to give the charcoal mask a shot. It contains black charcoal and Kaolin clay, along with oatmeal and tea tree oil, zinc and aloe juice. Like most charcoal masks, the goal is to draw out impurities, but this also helps to control shine and soothe skin. I currently use Origins Clear Improvements charcoal mask once a week, so it will be good to compare the results!

My first reaction when opening this mask was that there was a strong smell of tea tree oil. I applied one pod, which like the others provided a thick layer of coverage on my skin. Unlike the Origins mask, this stayed tacky and never dried for the duration of 10 minutes I left it on. The tea tree oil smell lingered even after rinsing this mask off, which came off easier than the Origins mask. Something else I noticed was major exfoliation on my entire face. The oatmeal grit is super minimal, but I removed a considerable amount of dead skin. And something I have never ever experienced before: noticeably minimized pore size for several hours! I couldn’t believe it! I also noticed this mask did not dry my skin out at all, which is always a side effect of the Origins mask. I will definitely continue using this mask and would also consider switching to it ongoing.

A couple days after the charcoal mask, I rounded out this regimen with the soothing face mask. It contains shea butter and chamomile extract, with the goal of helping to “soothe, balance, and hydrate troubled or sensitive skin.” This sounds exactly like what I need!

Unfortunately, in reality, the opposite happened. Like the others, I applied the entire pod and left it on for 10 minutes. Within two minutes my skin started to feel agitated. I persevered and rinsed as usual. My entire face was red, dry, and irritated and remained that way until the next morning. I’m not sure why my skin had such a strong reaction, but I definitely did not experience this mask’s claims and will not use this again.

Verdict: I have mixed feelings about my first box from Nügg Beauty. I like the idea of receiving a regimen and enough masks for an entire month. The value of each mask seems on par with better-quality wash-off mask brands. Nügg Beauty sent about $32 worth of product for $25 a month, which seems like it will be pretty standard based on their mask pricing. And I especially love that my skin had a noticeably good reaction after using the charcoal mask.

My main concern is the weariness of using the second pods, aside from the charcoal mask. So, knowing this, the value is not great because I am only willing right now to use five of the eight masks. There are a lot of variables to consider – everything from the season, cadence I used them, to the rest of my skincare regimen that could have affected a negative reaction. I also think I should not have received the oily/combination box right now, knowing I’m still experiencing dry, winter skin (something disclosed at sign-up).

I am curious about everyone else’s experience with Nügg Beauty. Have you tried their masks yet?

Sara received a gift subscription to Birchbox in 2013 and has been intrigued by (ok, obsessed with) discovery and fashion boxes ever since. Her basset hound, Oliver, is a huge fan of Barkbox, too.

All views in this review are the opinion of the author. My Subscription Addiction will never accept payment in exchange for a review, but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. Read the complete My Subscription Addiction disclosure.

4 Comments

Jean
April 12, 2017 at 12:51 pm

Its a cool idea..but not for the price imo…i actually saw them for sale..single packets at target with a bogo half off or free i believe it was like a week ago we had that deal in my area… i feel its way over priced when you compare it to other boxes of this nature..

I am currently using their revitalizing mask (flaxseed and peppermint oil). After my first use, I noticed that my pores got temporarily larger, but only for a couple hours. I don’t know if that’s intentional? I’ve also been dealing with some residual dryness (my slightly oily skin has basically gone matte) post-mask. I’m still interested in trying some of their masks, but overall, I feel like the Sephora sleeping masks (which retail for the same price) are doing a better job for me.